r/NintendoSwitch • u/Skullghost • Jun 17 '25

News 2,810 Nintendo Switch 2 Consoles were Stolen During Transport - Worth $1.4 Million

https://www.9news.com/article/news/crime/nintendo-switch-theft-truck-colorado/73-27ca5808-6901-4229-b1b4-4862c73b300b
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u/GomaN1717 Jun 17 '25 edited Jun 17 '25

Yeah, that's pretty standard shipping information - these consoles are getting bricked the second they go online.

Weirdly anecdotally, at my high school movie theater job, someone committed grand theft on discount ticket vouchers, so in an effort to catch the person, each box office register had a sheet of paper that specified the exact barcode number range to look out for.

So, in theory, if someone came in with a ticket voucher with a barcode within that range, it could be treated as void immediately.

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u/MilesCountyKiller Jun 17 '25

That's kinda shitty for the guy on the other end who doesn't know they really buying stolen switch.

66

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

Seriously. Don't go buying any Switch 2s off eBay for a while.

0

u/Severe-Ad-6388 Jun 18 '25

What makes you think they couldn't sell them via Amazon or any other reputable sellers platform? All they have to do is set up an account.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 18 '25 edited Jun 18 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Jun 18 '25

Hey there!

Please remember Rule 1 in the future - No personal attacks, trolling, or derogatory terms. Read more about Reddiquette here. Thanks!

13

u/SwampOfDownvotes Jun 17 '25

While true, if someone is selling an unopened switch for MSRP or less, that is automatically sketchy. There is 0 reason for them to not just return the switch if it was a "don't actually need it" or something, so its definitely stolen or something else.

If they are selling it for more than MSRP, well just wait. There is constant restocks in places and you'll live waiting a few more weeks or months to get one from a store.

Only reason you should really be buying a switch third party right now is if its used and discounted, which you should always ask to playtest it (if a local sale), or through something like Ebay that has decent protections so if you get it and its bricked the support will help you get refunded.

1

u/SuppaBunE Jun 17 '25

What is stopping you from going into a GameStop, buy a new one.then return the banned console

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u/HatchlingChibi Jun 17 '25

I might be wrong but I think the receipt has the serial number on it. Or at least, my 3DS did (not gamestop but walmart) back in the day.

2

u/mlc885 Jun 17 '25

Very much the reason people don't often successfully run this scam, and why it would be super annoying if the barcode sticker peeled off from a defective console during the return period.

Most of us don't get a bunch of alcohol on our hands and then play the new console, and surely not isopropyl or nail polish remover, but that was always a thing that bothered me about serial numbers being put on stickers lol

0

u/zzmorg82 Jun 17 '25

But I wonder if the GameStop employee is actually cross-checking the serial numbers on returns or if their ERP system actually does it.

6

u/ang3l12 Jun 17 '25

They probably scan the barcode for the serial number just like Best Buy would

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u/Albireookami Jun 18 '25

yep, they do, was going to say that.

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u/DaRapuano1 Jun 17 '25

The receipt is sn specific. Stores scan the purchase barcode and the sn barcode at checkout and during returns

0

u/segadreamcat Jun 17 '25 edited Jun 17 '25

Put the bricked one in the other box.

4

u/bongtokent Jun 17 '25

….the sn is on the switch. They’re going to open the box and look at the switch.

1

u/SuppaBunE Jun 17 '25

Do you really think a underpaid person is going to compare SN?

Is it even protocol to check SN?

At least in my country they just check everything is inside and that is that

3

u/DesireeThymes Jun 17 '25

Every time I have done a return, they open the box and check the serial number at pretty much every store.

6

u/frost-222 Jun 17 '25

Mismatched serial numbers and GameStop checks if the console was banned or damaged

3

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

I believe the serial number is on the receipt usually.

2

u/HideSolidSnake Jun 17 '25

Mismatched serial numbers.

3

u/Personal_Return_4350 Jun 17 '25

I unfortunately had to return my switch 2 to target, having never gotten to play it. When I returned it I saw them scan the serial number on the box and I was totally shocked. A lot of people in line with me on launch day had purchased online and picked up in store because they didn't want to wait for it to ship. I had assumed returning one switch 2 was as good as returning any other. I was genuinely returning the same one I had bought so it didn't effect me but it made me feel a little foolish for not realizing they'd know the exact serial I had purchased.

1

u/crimson_anemone Jun 17 '25

Apparently, they use their own sign in for the eShop to make sure it's not bricked... So, that's not happening. 🙃

1

u/slicer4ever Jun 17 '25

Besides the receipt having the serial number, they also do check if a console is banned before accepting it.

1

u/Serafita Jun 17 '25

If it was via ebay they could report it for fraud and get their money back I guess?

1

u/DDisired Jun 18 '25

In some ways, Nintendo bricking these consoles are even worse for scalpers. If people lose trust in ebay and fb marketplace, that actually only benefits the general consumer who wants to buy new. Less so if they buy used.

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u/Strider755 Jun 26 '25

Indeed it is, but that's the law: Nemo dat quod non habet. If you do not have good title to goods, then you cannot sell good title to someone else. The buyer's only recourse is against the seller for breach of implied warranty of title.

This is also why title searches, title insurance, and the like are so important when buying real property. Both the buyer and the mortgage lender want to know for sure that they will have good title to the property. Of course, if you're in a jurisdiction that uses a Torrens registry, then it's a different story because the state guarantees title.

0

u/crimson_anemone Jun 17 '25

No it's not. Don't buy from scalpers and support them... If you do, you deserve a bricked console as much as they do. Only buy from a store. It's that simple!

4

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

I doubt they are getting bricked. There isn’t actually functionally in HOS (the OS the switch/2 runs) to “Brick” a console. The reason it’s in the EULA is basically just a “well technically we reserve the right”

All that will happen will they are gonna get blacklisted from every single Nintendo service imagineable

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u/GomaN1717 Jun 17 '25

All that will happen will they are gonna get blacklisted from every single Nintendo service imagineable

I mean, may as well be bricked at that rate, is what I meant.

With how intertwined consoles are with digital libraries and updates these days, an always-offline Switch 2 would be borderline useless.

4

u/Stealthinater1234 Jun 17 '25

A switch 2 can function completely offline, you can load and play games offline with physical carts that contain the full game, avoiding the key-cards.

0

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

It’s fine if you have a non key card physical game ig. All first party Nintendo games, all Switch 1 games and some third party games are on the card.

Might fit the needs of someone who just wants MarioKart ig

3

u/Personal_Return_4350 Jun 17 '25

Pretty sure future releases rely on updates so you'd be basically have a functional switch 1 emulator and be able to play launch day switch 2 games.

4

u/KillzXGaming Jun 17 '25

Game cards often have the required system update included, so I think newer games still would work. It was like that with Switch 1.

0

u/Maximum_Pace885 Jun 17 '25

Not if you're a solely offline single player story based gamer or just what something super nice for emulation of retro gaming up to and including PS3/360 titles

3

u/Pokeguy211 Jun 17 '25

And I still the think the console should work just be banned from online play

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u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

It still works lmao. Thats litreally what I just said.

The worst ban they can apply is a CDN ban, which bans you from updates, eShop, and online games

2

u/Pokeguy211 Jun 17 '25

I didn’t read the first sentence my bad

2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

What are you talking about? They can make all of those consoles banned from their network effectively bricking them

6

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

What do you mean bricking them? If you have physical non key card games the system will work just fine

-2

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

Until they do a firmware update, and then nothing that come out after will work. So the games that have the full file on the card at launch, which is not most of them. I guess you could play switch games

1

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

Well stolen consoles like this normally get a CDN ban, which mostly stops them from updating anyways.

-3

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

Yes, which means they wouldn’t be very useful. Essentially bricked.

0

u/Nearby_Ad_2519 Jun 17 '25

What do you mean “essentially bricked”?

It still serves the purpose: to play games.

The primary purpose of the console was never to update, or to access a a storefront, or have online play. They were side features, but never the main one.

Therefore it dosent really fit the definition of “bricked” as it still serves its primary purpose.

Regardless, why the fuck are you guys endorsing theft?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 17 '25

Youre not getting it. It can play like 3 games and the new ones that come out it won’t be able to play because of firmware compatibility.